亲人

• Pinyin: qīn rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 亲 = simplified from 親, meaning close or dear; 人 = pictograph of a standing person

Meaning

Family member; relative; loved one. Refers to people connected by blood or deep emotional bonds.

Primarily means close family members — parents, siblings, children, grandparents. Can be extended to include anyone with a family-like bond. More emotionally charged than 家人 (household members). Often used in contexts of separation, reunion, or loss. Carries strong emotional weight.

Examples

1. 过年的时候，大家都希望能和亲人团聚。 During Chinese New Year, everyone hopes to reunite with their loved ones.
2. 他在外地工作，非常想念亲人。 He works far from home and misses his family very much.
3. 解放军战士把灾区人民当作自己的亲人。 The PLA soldiers treat the people in the disaster area as their own family.

Usage Guide

Context: family, emotions, festivals

Tone: sentimental

Do Say

• 能和亲人在一起是最幸福的事。(Being together with loved ones is the happiest thing.)
• 他很久没见到亲人了。(He hasn't seen his family in a long time.)

Don't Say

• 我的亲人是一只猫。(Don't use 亲人 for pets — it specifically refers to human family members or people with family-like bonds.)

Origin & History

亲 means close or dear; 人 means person. Together they mean the people closest to your heart — those bound by blood or deep affection.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal